CHAPTER ELEVEN
1973:
Fall Tournaments.
At the 37-entry Emerald Empire Open, which sounds like it should have been held in Dublin, or at least Dublin, CA, but was actually held in Eugene, OR, Oct. 20-21, Lou Bochenski (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1973, 22) says the Tournament Committee “allowed any player who entered any class event to enter Open Singles for only $1.” Hand-tooled leather racket cases took the place of trophies for every event except the Open which offered some cash prizes. Open: Tom Ruttinger d. Jeff Kurtz, 3-1. Women’s: Liz Kurtz (Jeff’s wife) d. Dotty Bochenski (Lou’s wife). Open Doubles: Jeff Kurtz/Dave Hudson d. Ron Carver/Ed Ng.
Other winners: A’s: Hudson over Jim Scott. B’s: Portland’s young Bobby Rinde over Earl Adams, then in the final over Ron Vincent. C’s: Dunbar Carpenter over Rinde. Novice: Liz Kurtz over Bob Schuff. Open Consolation: Lou Bochenski over Don Nash. Novice Consolation: Dotty Bochenski over Mary Martin.
Portland hosted the Rose City Open Nov. 9-10. Results: Open Singles: Tom Ruttinger over Joe Lee, 29-27 in the 4th. Women’s: Vancouver’s Leslee Ward over Liz Kurtz. Editor Eric Calveley’s British Columbia’s LeTTers (Sept., 1973, 1-2) did an Interview with Leslee after she came back from a recent training trip to China with other Canadian players. Of course she’d done the usual drills alright, but she’d had a little trouble with the physical exercises. “At the beginning I could only do one push-up but eight at the end.” “And have you kept doing them?” asked the Interviewer. “No,” said Leslee, “it’s too hard.” The Interviewer wanted to know why the Chinese players were better than the Canadian players. Leslee said, “Their dedication and seriousness.” Also, compared to us, “they were mush faster, in much better shape. But it was everything. They were much steadier, had much more control, consistently hit much harder.”
Open Doubles: Ruttinger/Rob Roberts over Peter Joe/Eddie Lo, -18, 20, 14, -21, 19. A’s: Joe over Steve Berliner. B’s: Eddie Chin over Earl Adams. B Doubles: Jim Tisler/Rinde over Charlie McLarty/Jim Buchanan. C’s: Peter Athwal over Dunbar Carpenter. Senior’s: Bob Ho over Art Barran. Junior’s: Lo over Joe who’d barely survived Ward, deuce in the 3rd.
The San Francisco Fall Open was held the same weekend as the Portland tournament. Results: Open Singles: 1. Ray Guillen (5-gamer in ¼’s with Palle Norfeldt). 2. Paul Raphel. 3. Denis O’Connell (tough –24, 20, 22, 15 match in ¼’s with Stig Norfeldt). 4. George Makk. Women’s: Judy Bochenski (opting to play here and not in Portland) over Angie Rosal, 19 in the 4th. Men’s Doubles: Norfeldt brothers over Raphel/O’Connell, -11, 9, -17, 20, 20, then in the final over Guillen/Eric Thom who’d had to go 5 to beat Richard Terry/Jeff Mason. Mixed Doubles: S. Norfeldt/A. Rosal over O’Connell/Bochenski, 23-21 in the 5th. Senior’s: Don Ayers over Azmy Ibrahim in 5. A’s: S. Norfeldt over Mike Greene. B’s: John Soderberg over John Nevarez (after being down 2-0). C’s: Bob Glenn over King Tom.
The Oct. 13-14 Huntington Beach Open saw Joong Gil Park take the Men’s from Paul Raphel, 20, 18, 19, after Paul had gone 5 in eliminating Ray Guillen who’d had tough matches with Stig Norfeldt (-20, 15, 22, 19) and Glenn Cowan (-20, 15, 22, 19). In best early-round play, Jack Howard defeated Denis O’Connell in 5, after Denis had gone into the 5th with Mark Adelman. Women: Angie Rosal over Judy Bochenski. Men’s Doubles: Howard/Raphel over Park/Joe Napoles in 5, then in the final over Guillen/Shonie Aki, 26-24 in the 5th. Mixed Doubles: S. Norfeldt/Rosal over Palle Norfeldt/Bochenski. Senior’s: Danny Banach over Don Ayers, 23-21 in the 5th, and in the final over Julius Paal, 17 in the 5th. Esquire’s: Gene Wilson over Paal, 17 in the 5th.
This past summer, Gene and his wife took a month’s vacation in Sweden and Norway—and of course, being an aficionado, Gene wanted to check out, as best he could, how the Swedish Association, the Svenska Bordtennisforbundet, works. After talking with Executive Secretary Borje Berggvist, here’s what Gene learned (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1973, 40)…
…The [Swedish] government pays 75% of the expenses of their national table tennis association. These expenses include the salaries of seven full-time employees, rent for a suite of offices in Stockholm, printing, postage, telephone, and even the small assistance the national organization gives to regional clubs, such as the partial cost of tables. The remaining 25% of their income is from memberships, fees for tournaments [“12 cents per person for each event”], royalties on table tennis equipment sold in Sweden [“royalty on each bat is 12 cents”]….
Entries for all tournaments must go to the national headquarters in Stockholm [“three weeks before the tournament”] for ranking and placing….[Copies of the complete draw] are mailed to every club represented in the tournament. The usual precautions are made to avoid members of the same club meeting in the first round….[Player] complaints are kept to a minimum when the player knows the tournament chairman cannot make any changes. [But if, before the tournament starts, a club representative sees a serious mistake has been made, surely some protest is possible?]…”
Gene was impressed with the amount of recognition given to Swedish stars 21-year-old Stellan Bengtsson and 27-year-old Kjell Johansson (27)—it’s similar to what Jerry West and Joe Namath receive in the U.S. Both Bengtsson, who’s single, and Johansson, who’s married (his wife sometimes accompanies him on his tournament or exhibition trips) “work for Stiga and receive $48,000 each per year. They also receive from 24 cents to 36 cents royalty on bats they have endorsed, which are sold in Sweden.” Gene thinks that club and team matches help develop young players, that leagues, to which all Swedish players of any stature join, are key to holding one‘s interest, and recommends that U.S. clubs during their playing season follow suit. Off court Stellan (who plays for the Falkenberg Club) and Kjell (who plays for Molndal) are friends and in the summer play golf together.
However, also in the off-season (and surely only in the off-season), Wilson says the Swedish National Team “trains rigorously one week each month, during which time they do nothing else” (that means no wives or sweethearts allowed). Japan’s great Champion, Ichiro Ogimura, when he’d come to Sweden as National Coach, had put particular emphasis on physical fitness, so the training the Swedes do “is comparable to the basic training for United States army recruits,” with an emphasis on hard running.
Wilson took in a well-attended tournament at the little town of Rimbo, about 50 miles northeast of Stockholm. Officials Bror-Eric Lundin and Carl-Olaf Ostholm were helpful to Gene there, even arranging for him to play the #1 woman player at the Club, Wanja Wannehed, 1957 Swedish Mixed Doubles Champ—whom he beat. Gross income from this Rimbo tourney was $1500—$500 of that went for expenses, and another $500 for prizes (local merchants also gave awards consisting “of everything from barbecue sets to chairs”). That left a $500 profit. Of course the events were well run. Play was on fast, “heavy-duty Stiga tables, with one-inch playing surface.” Every match was umpired, often by a youth, the umpire receiving 24 cents for each match. The ump doesn’t call the score, but the scorecards being turned (and constantly being glanced at by the players) are large enough for the spectators to see who’s leading. If you weren’t there to catch the action, the local newspaper provided results, as well as “comments and pictures in three columns on the sports page.” Says Gene, “We never have it so good in California.”
At the Nov. 3-4 Long Beach Open, Dean Galardi won his 1st Men’s Singles—3-0 over Ray Guillen in the semi’s, and 3-0 over Ichiro Hashimoto in the final. Women’s: Pat Crowley over Bonnie Johnson. Men’s Doubles: Guillen/Joe Napoles over Hashimoto/Sandy Lechtick. Mixed Doubles: Guillen/Johnson over Lechtick/Crowley. A’s: Dan Goodstein over Russ Thompson who’d outlasted Don Ayers, 31-29 in the 3rd.
In holding the Caprock Open in Lubbock, TX, first-time Tournament Director Jim Underwood, assisted by a host of helpers—Billie and R.C. Watkins, Jay and Norma Evans, Great Plains Regional Director Sue Sargent, Cindy Cornett, and Jim’s wife—got the job done without undue complaints. Men’s: Joe Cummings d. John McAdams. Women’s: Sue Sargent d. Stacie Moore, 8, -21, 21, -18, 16. Championship Doubles: Cummings/John Tomlinson d. Paul Longmire/R. Reynolds. Women’s Doubles: Sargent/Moore d. B. McSpadden/L. McSpadden. Mixed Doubles: McAdams/Moore d. Steve Dodgen/Norma Evans. Senior’s: Mac Horn d. Edgar Stein, 18 in the 5th. Texas Residents’ Singles: Tomlinson d. Cummings, -21, 21, 19, 16.
A’s: Dodgen d. Dave DeWald. B’s: J. Bell d. J. Wise. C’s: B. Cornett d. Reynolds. D’s: Sue Sargent d. Elston. Junior’s: Mike Finnell d. Gregg Gafford. A Doubles: Bell/Puls d. Stein/Finnell, 19 in the 3rd. B Doubles: J.C. Tenay and Arthur “Buster” Chase (he’ll be playing into the next millennium) d. Cornett and R.C. Watkins.
I assume Danny Seemiller had been on the move giving exhibitions and that his play in the Oklahoma City Southwest Open suffered for it. Alex Tam was the Men’s round-robin semi’s winner—after dropping a game to Joe Cummings, he beat Seemiller, 19 in the 4th. Though John Quick defeated Cummings for 3rd Place, Joe, winning both deuce games, forced Danny into the 5th. Women’s went to Jean Varker over Peggy Shaha. Of course Tam/Seemiller won the Men’s Doubles—over Cummings/John Tomlinson in 4, after the Texans had just gotten by Hibbs and Central Oklahoma winner Tommy Vaello. Tam teamed with Sue Sargent to take the Mixed over the runner-up team of Quick/Varker, with Seemiller/Shaha 3rd.
Other winners: A’s: Pat Windham over fast-improving Perry Schwartzberg. B’s: Windham over Steve Simon. A Doubles: Bob Mandel/Hibbs over Jones/Russ Finley. B Doubles: Jones/Finley over French/Robert Henry. Senior’s: D.G. Van Vooren over Vern Eisenhour. Senior Doubles: Van Vooren/Rich Puls over Dave Thorsen/Paul Olivier. U-17: Steve Hammond in 5 over Schwartzberg who’d eliminated Windham. U-17 Doubles: Schwartzberg/Simon over Hammond/Irl Copely. U-15: Schwartzberg d. Gerald Evans. U-13: Jonathan Weinglass d. Roger Eisenhour.
In a moment, we’ll read Vince Koloski’s report on the Minneapolis Magoo’s season kick-off tournament, the Sept. 29-30 Twin City Open. But first a few words on Vince himself from Grand Rapids reporter Hager. Koloski arrived at Sweeris’s July clinic in a $1 car—drove it all the way from Minneapolis. “I bought it five months ago from my brother’s wife,” he explained. It’s a “’53 Chevy”—the “Green Bomb” players promptly called it. “The door on the driver’s side is smashed in” Hager tells us—“a matter of some inconvenience.” But Vince likes the car, says, “It’s only got 85,000 miles on it.” Hager describes Koloski as “tall and lanky, professorial in appearance,” says he “dropped out of St. Thomas College after a year, now works as a janitor and photographer.” He’d come to Sweeris’s clinic on a sort of learning vacation.
Now that it’s fall, though, he’s back working as a volunteer Twin City tournament reporter (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1973, 22). In the Men’s, the first of two advanced round robins featured Houshang Bozorgzadeh, Don Larson, Stu Sinykin, and Pete Tellegen—with Houshang coming 1st easily, and Pete upsetting Stu. The second starred Doug Maday, Charlie Disney, Jerry Kahnke, and John Soderberg—with Maday coming 1st, winning in 3 bizarrely over Soderberg (losing the 1st at 19 after leading 18-12, then winning the 2nd after trailing 11-19), and Kahnke downing Disney who then announced his retirement from tournament play. In the final, after going down 2-0 to Houshang, Doug and his coach Rich Sinykin “devised the strategy of pushing to Houshang’s backhand, looping to his forehand, then killing the return to either side, depending on which way Houshang was leaning.” When, up19-18, Maday “tried to place two backhands down the line instead of killing crosscourt,” Houshang went up match point, then quickly finished Doug. Men’s Doubles winners were Kahnke/Tellegen over Maday/Stu Sinykin, then Larson/Soderberg.
Class A: Gus Kennedy, on changing to anti-topspin on his backhand for greater control, won his first A’s by beating Steve Strauss in the final, after Steve, on losing the 19 1st game of his semi’s to Dr. Larry Markus, began to roll and slow loop until the ball came high enough for a kill. Class B: lefty looper /hitter Kent Nobles, “with good serves and a hard kill,” defeated 14-year-old Greg Mosio. Class C: Craig “Dead” Satersmoen, instead of playing defensively, hit his way to victory over Canadian Ron Glaister. Class D: Iowa’s Jim Lynum (who would go on to win the Dec. Sioux City Open from John Oneal) over Bob Shepherd. U-17’s: Tellegen over Soderberg. U-17 Women’s (in lieu of a Women’s event for which there was no interest): Sheila O’Dougherty over Judy Heichert. U-17 Doubles: Tellegen/Soderberg. U-15’s: Soderberg over Reed Watson. U-13’s: Swen Baker over Sheri Soderberg, the future first and only woman to become USTTA (USATT) President, making her debut appearance in Topics. (Here’s Sheri a couple of years later being flirtatious with fellow teen John Stillions.)
Houshang also easily won the Oct. 13 Lincoln State Open in Chicago while runner-up Jim Lazarus fought it out with Paul Pashuku and Jim Davey. Lazarus took the Men’s Doubles with Salu over Houshang and Mike Baber (A winner over Paul Wong; runner-up in B’s to Wayne Wasielewski [sic] and in Junior’s to Harold Klinger) [sic]. Joe Bujalski was the winner in C’s (over Weller) and in Senior’s (over Norm Schless). Barbara Taschner won the Women’s (over her mother, Dorothy) and with Pashuku the Mixed (over Dorothy/Mike Carter). PS. Quick correction: one’s life is at stake. Mike Baber writes in to say, “I wanted to die when I read the results of the Lincoln State Open….I lost to neither Wayne Wasielewski (B final) or Harold Klinger (Junior final). In fact, I won both of those matches, probably by the same score.” Tch, tch, Frank Tichy. As Mike says, that’s a “ridiculous” error. On the other hand, Doug Ballor makes the point that at least Tichy gave Mike a tournament to play in, and he should be commended for that.
It was Houshang again at Chicago’s Nov. 17 Logan Square Open. Cull the usual suspects and this time the runner-up was Davey, who paired with Women’s winner Barbara Taschner to also take the Mixed (from Women’s runner-up Dorothy Taschner and Hugh Shorey). It was a very good tournament for Hugh—he won the A’s (over Karl Will), the Senior’s (over John Hinde) and the Men’s Doubles with Lazarus (over Pashuku/R. Turco). B’s went to Laszlo Keves over Wasielewski; C’s to Primo Madrigal over G. Partipilo. Baber beat Klinger in the Junior’s.
Bill Connelly of the Eastern Illinois University TTC tells us (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1973, 25) that he and Co-Tournament Director Jim Schnorf, after “months of planning, hundreds of letters, and lots of perspiration”—say, “well over 200 hours of work”—brought off the 135-entry Panther Open in the small town (pop. 16,000) of Charleston, IL, Nov. 10-11. They raised $350 from local businesses and went all out trying to get players and to promote the tournament—wrote “to every single club listed in Topics,” sent personal letters to top players, and got local newspapers and radio stations to give the $500 tournament coverage, with the result that “several hundred spectators” showed. Schnorf was doubtless too tired to be a winner here, but three weeks earlier at Fort Wayne, he’d won the B’s (over Max Salisbury), the C’s (over Alan Grambo), and the Handicap (over Snyder). Perhaps it’s Jim who’s going to be giving exhibitions at local high schools with Connelly at $35 a pop? Bill has a vision: “Twenty schools in a week would gross $700.”
Dell Sweeris and Danny Seemiller gave a clinic just before the tournament started and drew about 20 participants. “Each player was given individual attention and Dell’s puns kept everyone ‘on the ball.’” Tournament Referee Don Larson “did a tremendous job with the seedings and many petty arguments.” Dennis Fajfar, Mike Zwilling, and Jim Bednar were invaluable in keeping the 15-event tournament running smoothly. Play was on 10 Nissen tables, and Bill said he’d “never been to a tournament with as much room between tables. Players could lob to their heart’s content (hear that, Mike Carter?).”
The Men’s final round robin saw Houshang Bozorgzadeh, Danny Seemiller, and Dell Sweeris all with 2-1 records while Jim Lazarus was 0-3. In the tie-breaker, Houshang ($125) edged Seemiller ($60) “by a mere point”—after which he gleefully “hopped around like a little boy.” Other Men’s money winners: Sweeris ($40); Lazarus ($20); Paul Pashuku and Jerry Thrasher ($15); and Richard Hicks (earlier winner at Fort Wayne in Singles and Doubles with son Ricky) and Jim Davey ($10). Women’s went to Chicago’s Barb Taschner over Western Kentucky University student Carol Cook. Open Doubles was won by Lazarus/Thrasher over Bozorgzadeh/Davey.
Thrasher ($50) took the 75-entry Class A semi’s round robin over Pat Windham ($30), Harry Deschamps ($20), and Larry Chisolm ($10). A Doubles: Larson/Sreve Strauss over Robert Irvin/Keves. B’s: Laszlo Keves over Hugh Lax. B Doubles: Connelly/Bednar over Zwilling/Baker. Esquire’s: Duane Maule d. Bill Hornyak in 5. Senior’s: Joe Bujalski over John White. U-17’s: Hammond d. Windham. U-15’s: Greg Jelinski d. Maule.
Sweeris has taken a cue from Herb Vichnin’s series of 6 seasonal tournaments at the Philadelphia Club, and has instituted his own Woodland Invitational. Players are awarded points according to their Open Singles play in 6 tourneys. At the end, the16 who’ve qualified will vie for prize money in a single elimination format; “1st round losers are guaranteed $37.50 and the winner $450.” Dell has also incorporated what he calls a “pass to all Woodland-sponsored tournaments.” Pay $60 and you can enter up to 4 double elimination events a tournament (regular entry fee $3 an event) through 8 tournaments.
So who do you think won the 1st of these Grand Rapids Opens? Uh-huh, Sweeris. With Jim Davey taking 2nd over Bill Lesner who’d been down 2-0 to Tom Hall. Tom McEvoy said that “Davey continues to impress people with his solid attack, and doesn’t seem to get ‘psyched’ as much as in the past.” Paul Pashuku finished 4th. Women’s went to Connie Sweeris over Marywood Academy senior Maureen Farmer, the current Grand Rapids Women’s and Girls U-17 Champ. Men’s A’s: Joe Bujalski in a Double Elimination double upset of Hall. B’s: Frank Sexton, after surprising McEvoy in the 1st round, over Craig Burton. C’s: Ron Eaton over Bill Hornyak. Novice: Garrett Donner over Steve Vinter. Handicap: Mike Baber over Eaton. Senior’s: Bujalski over Bong Ho. U-17: Baber over Greg Jelinski. U-15: Andy Hopping. U-13: Faan Yeen Liu. U-11: John Austin over Torsten Pawlowski.
And the 2nd in the Woodland series, who won that? Uh-huh, Sweeris. With Davey again runner-up. This time Pashuku, who had Dell down 2-1, finished 3rd over #4 finisher Bob Hazekamp who’d upset the #1 A seed Jeff Smart in the quarter’s. Women’s went to Janice Martin over Connie Sweeris. Men’s A’s: Phil Trout over Tom Hall, 22-20 in the 3rd and then over Mike Baber in the final. Women’s A’s: Connie Evans over Joan Knight. B’s: Hazenkamp over Paul Lamse. Novice: Mike Zwilling over Mark Delmar. Handicap: Ted Bassett over Pat Cox.
Tom Hall won the Three Rivers Open—in the semi’s over Hornyak in 5, and then in the final over Lyle Thiem in 4. Women’s: Joyce Donner over Amy Dickerhoff. Men’s Doubles: Hall/Thiem over Trout/Hyden. A’s: Hyden over Hornyak, 23-21 in the 4th, and then in the final over Max Salisbury, 18 in the 4th. B’s: Hyden over McCann. Junior’s: Randy Webb over Jeff Shockley.
At the Nov. 17 Kentucky Closed at Lexington, Ruben Dreszer beat Joe Bowsher, 19 in the 4th to win the Men’s. In the semi’s, both the finalists came from behind—Dreszer –21, -8, 18, 15, 18 over Hasse Ahman, and Bowsher –15, -18, 18, 21, 15 over Homer Brown. Two 5-gamers in the quarter’s, too: Dreszer over Kin Chau, and Ahman over Sam Shannon. Women’s went to Carol Cook over Mary Troxell. Championship Doubles winners were Ahman/Mike Wyatt over Brown/Shannon. Don’t think of Shannon, who lives in Evansville, IN, as a non-winner, however. Reporter Al Dunning of the Evansville Press (May 29, 1974), quotes Sam as saying he “began playing at age 14 in Cleveland,” and was later “the Cleveland city champion for nine years.” Born in 1929, he had his first big win at the 1938 Indiana Open; later, during his heyday 1940’s, he was the Ohio Champion. After retiring in 1952, he started playing again a couple of years ago, and is doing pretty well. Here at Lexington he won the A’s over Dreszer, and the Senior’s over Ted Friedman.
Other double winners in this Kentucky Closed: Ray Spann (over Friedman in the B’s, and Jud Brown in the Novice); and Augustine Choi (over Johnny Howard in Boys U-17, and over David Ross in U-15’s). U-13 winner was S. O’Connell over P. Levy. Girl’s U-17 went to Choi over A. Friedman who won the U-11’s over Scott.
Larry Thoman ran his first tournament—the roughly 50-entry Tennessee Closed at Nashville, Oct. 6. In his write-up (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1973, 24), Larry shows he’s pleased that, though almost $200 worth of trophies was given out, the tournament made a profit of over $100. He’s also proud of the concession stand with its hot sandwiches, prepared mostly by his mother. Glitches? Only a few: a mix-up of two trophy labels; a stop-play by popular demand to see the World’s on TV; a half-hour delay while the gym had to be cooled off; and a complication brought about because one person had at least 5 matches to play when the tournament was in its semifinal stages. Larry thanks all those who helped—“John White, Robert Jordan, Everett Henry, Bill and Lee Edwards, Allen Wright, Gerry Gividen and his wife, Karen, Sandy Stephens, and, most of all, Tom White and Neil McClain.” Play was over with by 9:30 p.m. “and, with great cooperation, tables, barriers, etc. were taken down and put away in less than forty-five minutes.”
The Men’s went to Bill Edwards, a 17-year-old freshman at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville who wants to be an architect. Bill has been “the Tennessee junior champ for the past several years,” and has always had “a tremendous attacking top-spin game.” But his 3-0 win in the final here over Defending Champ Clay Whitelaw can also be attributed to a lack of practice on Clay’s part. Formerly U.S. #18 when “he was playing with inverted and had such an overpowering loop game,” Clay had lost interest in practicing and switched to a hard rubber defense—I guess because he thought play that way was more fun. In the one semi’s, Bill defeated Jim Cambell, deuce in the 4th; and in the other, Clay defeated Lee Edwards who’d earlier rallied from down 2-0 to oust John McKenna, 19 in the 5th. Whitelaw paired with Gividen to take the Men’s Doubles from Edwards/Larry Bartley, deuce in the 5th. Women’s winner was 14-year-old Leslie Harris over Marty Williamson.
Other results: A’s: Cambell d. McKenna. A Doubles: Neil McLain/Hugh Lax d. Denis Fritchie/Harris. B’s: Bob Flowers, Sr. d. Vincent Chan in 5. C’s: Willie Wells d. Bill Brunson. Senior’s: Lax d. Flowers in (do you believe it? I don’t) five 19 games. Junior’s: Greg Smith d. Harris who’d bested Thoman, -16, -16, 18, 20, 18.
A week after the Closed, there was another tournament in Tennessee: Hugh Babb reports (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1973, 26) on the Kingsport Open, held at the city’s Civic Auditorium under the direction of Kermit and Nancy Raxter. Men’s final: Dr. Joe Ching, originally from China, now “from the atomic city of Oak Ridge,” down 2-1 and 17-20 in the 4th, exploded for 5 gutsy points and went on to beat Tom Hall, who’d earlier escaped Lee Edwards in 5. Hugh calls 28-year-old Tom an “Ironman,” and one can see why. A high school algebra teacher in his spare time, he “averages running 4 miles per day, swims, works out with weights, and plays Table Tennis 5 days each week.” This Open marks his “11th straight weekend of playing in a tournament.”
In the Men’s, Graham Gear, a 33-year-old V-P for a sales promotion company in Cincinnati, after getting by anti-spin demon Sol Lewis in 5, ended up losing 3rd Place to Larry Bartley. But he did pair with Hall (they’re the Ohio State Champions) to take the Championship Doubles over Ching and Vincent Chang. Women’s went to Shelby Jordan, “a housewife and the mother of two girls, 9 and 11,” over 22-year-old Melanie Spain who’s a graduate student at the University of North Carolina. Melanie “averages playing about 2 hours each day and as much as 5 or 6 hours on holidays and weekends.”
Other winners: A’s: Lewis over Hall. B’s: Tom Kelly over James Neal. C’s: Greg Smith over Mickey Greer, 17 in the 5th. Championship Consolation: Chan over North Carolina District Judge Stanley Peele. Junior’s: Danny Dye over Robert Benson in 5, then in the final over Smith in 4. Senior’s: Lewis over Dick Tucker, a university professor of mathematics in Greensboro, who’d rallied from down 2-0 to beat Peale. Dick really takes the Game seriously, as you can see from a letter he’ll later write Dr. Michael Scott:
“…If it were not for Clyde Vincent, I would be pretty isolated from the game in Greensboro. I keep a ping-pong table in my office at the State University. Monday through Friday after school, Clyde and I wheel the table upstairs to the third floor into a large corner room and play for about 2 and ½ hours. We use your idea of using a lot of balls at one time (we use about 7 or 8 dozen) and really get a lot of play in. I estimate that we hit at least twice as many balls or more than when using only one ball. So that is equivalent to about 5 or 6 hours of practice a day for five days. [Sound right, does it? Hey, he’s the math professor.]
Exactly when the Atomic City Open was held, Lee Edwards reporting for Topics (Jan.-Feb, l974, 33) neglected to say. But that’s o.k. because, though this was the Oak Ridge Club’s first tournament, and though the Oak Ridge Recreation Department lent a helping hand, and the Oak Ridge Bank donated the trophies, the tournament wasn’t in the Atomic City of Oak Ridge. Instead, says Lee, “we were in a place called Oliver Springs, somewhat removed from the gaseous diffusion plant, the reactors, the laboratories, and the signs which reminded us to ‘be security conscious.’”
The Championship Division final was a fight “between the two best active players in Tennessee”—and was won by Joe Ching over Bill Edwards. “Ching uses a seven-ply balsa paddle covered with pips-out sponge, and specializes in frustrating loopers with his slow, dead block.” Though Edwards was “not looping very consistently,” the match went 5 games and featured “long counter-hitting rallies.” Doubles, however, went to Bill and Tom Tarrant over Tom Seay/Frank Webb, 17, -15, -18, 19, 19. Women’s winner was Melanie Spain over Charlene Jenkins. A’s: Jim Cambell “forgot his hard rubber paddle and had to play with the only other one he could find, some sort of dime store special.” Although his opponent in the final was Alabama’s Webb, “who puts the ball away like a rocket,” Jim managed “to chop back the heavy ball under rather cramped conditions,” and won, 24-22 in the 5th, “with a puffball pick shot.”
Other winners: B’s: Larry Thoman, a talented counter-driver, over “the living legend” Larry Mills. “Mills of the hills, once one of the greatest wood blockers in the nation, is renowned for his calm demeanor and classic footwork. Although he has been known to employ such psychological tactics as eating moths and spitting the ball across the table (after throwing it high into the air a’la Hsu Shao-fa), he is usually content to simply scream his favorite expletive ‘Godzilla!’ and drink snake juice, his favorite beverage.” C’s: Bill Capshaw over Jim Flanagan in 5. Student: Lee Edwards over Bill Edwards, 19 in the 3rd. Senior’s: Mel Ketchel over Robert Jordan in 5. Junior’s: Greg Smith over Mark Gilliam.
Bard Brenner has left the West Coast and returned to Miami Beach where (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1973, 32-33) he describes the Fujii Club that’s about to have a Grand Reopening and also reports on the Miami Open. Turns out that, though Fujii himself is no longer managing the place (it’s open only two days a week until owner Joe Newgarden is back in town, so that most top players have been practicing at Robert Walker’s facility), the Club itself is ready to accommodate one and all. It has a “multicolored lighted parking lot” (holds 50 cars), has air-conditioning, a “wall’s-length bulletin board with all the local and national [table tennis] news,” and a lobby ending with rest rooms for the non-playing spectators. It also has a large lounge area—with a soda machine, and “couches…bridge tables, chess sets, and a television.” Here one sees “a complete selection of table tennis equipment”; and the new manager-to-be, Richard McAfee, is soon sure to be on hand to help buyers make a choice, for the control desk is here too.
As you head to the playing area, you pass a room with two practice tables and a Stiga robot. Then you come to “the main arena of twelve tables set in two rows that are separated by barriers.” A “low-running wooden barrier” rings the court complex, outside of which sit spectators who may place drinks in holes provided at the top of this barrier. To the rear, behind sliding doors, there are separate “men’s and women’s locker rooms, complete with shower.” And there’s also another room—a kitchen!
The Grand Reopening is set for Oct. 21. But first there’s the 14-event Miami Open, put on the weekend before by President Fred Fuhrman’s Miami Club with Phil Spool as Tournament Chair. Bard, Joe Sokoloff, and Richard McAfee hype the tournament by appearing on the Sonny Hirsch radio show—“One hour of prime time evening coverage with no other guests!” Mention was maybe made on air of “football player, Ross Brown,” whose loop reminded Bard of Eric Thom’s. Thirty years later, Ross will be the USATT’s Nominating Chair.
Professional Event (some prize money): Final: Peter Pradit d. Jerry Thrasher, 3-1. Semi’s: Pradit d. Richard McAfee, 3-0; Thrasher d. Greg Gingold, 19, -20, 18, -18, 20. 3rd Place: University of South Florida’s Gingold (whose game, Bard says, “defies description”) d. McAfee, 19 in the 4th. Men’s Championship Singles (Pros Pradit, McAfee, and Joe Sokoloff, the Tournament Referee, didn’t play): super-looper Thrasher won but was pressured by Tampa college student Cornelius Harrison –13, 15, 19, 20 in the quarter’s; by Gingold 14, -25, 20, -18, 18 in the semi’s; and by anti-topspin defender Alan Nissen -22, 16, 21, 20 in the final, after Al had won an expedite match from Marv Leff. Men’s Championship Doubles: McAfee/Sokoloff d. Nissen/Leff in 5 in the semi’s and Thrasher/Pat Patterson in 5 in the final. Women’s: Bev Hess d. Elaine Posta. Mixed Doubles: Patterson/Hess d. Randy Hess/Shellie Gainsburg.
Other winners: A’s: penholder John Sholine d. Fujii’s Assistant Manager-to-be John Wimbish who’d knocked out Leff in 5 (Marv “having switched from pimpled rubber to anti-topspin”). Lenny Bass was beating Sholine before it turned out that John hadn’t played his previously scheduled match. So when later the two played, Lenny couldn’t shake off his distress. B’s: B. Hess d. Harrison, 3-0. B Doubles (“Championship players play with Novice players and Class A players play with Class B players”): Thrasher/Chris Marshall d. Patterson/Brown, deuce in the 5th. Novice: George Bluhm –14, -18, 20, 22, 15 rallied to defeat Chris Marshall. Consolation: Sam Fletcher d. Victor Fung. Wheelchair Singles: Fletcher d. John Ebert. Senior’s: Sam Hoffner d. Hal Gundersdorf, 3-0. Under 17: Hess d. Marshall, 3-1. Under 15: Jesse Franz d. Gainsburg, 3-0.
And, yes, the new Fujii’s did open—to free play, free drinks, and celebratory cakes. Here’s the Club’s first week’s itinerary:
“Monday—coaching clinic for beginners and intermediates, led by Joe Sokoloff [using, I presume, his Topics’ “My Way” articles]; Tuesday—individual Handicap League; Wednesday—Money Round Robin; Thursday—3-Man Team League (advanced, intermediate, and beginner on each team); Friday—Advanced Coaching for intermediate and advanced players run by Richard McAfee; Saturday—Wild Card Night (fun night—…tournament with no paddles allowed); Sunday—Revolving Table League (you move up according to ability). The Center is open from 4 P.M. to midnight—seven days a week.…
You say you want to move to Miami?”
Though Raleigh held both a North Carolina Open and Closed on the Sept. 29-30 weekend, the event winners were sometimes different. Results: Open Championship Singles: 1. Sol Lewis. 2. Hou-min Chang. 3. Fred King. 4. Jim McQueen (who’d almost lost 3-0 to Kelly). King was a triumphant triple winner in the Closed: Men’s (over Bill Cooper); Men’s Doubles with Mike Johnson (over Steve Hitchner/Knud-Hansen); and Mixed with Melanie Spain (over Tom Tarrant/Kim Setzer, who’d beaten them in the Open). Open Women’s: Melanie Spain over Jean Poston—reversed in the next day’s Closed. Open Senior’s: Lewis over Closed winner Dick Tucker in the semi’s and over Consolation winner Manny Moskowitz in the final. U-17’s and U-15’s: Johnson was dominant both days over Bill Brown. Open A’s: P. Neal d. Ron Luth who’d eliminated J. Neal, 19 in the 3rd. Open B’s: King Stablein over Luth. Closed A’s/Consolation’s: Adams over Johnson; Adams over Hitchner.
Outsiders, particularly a large group of Floridians, turned up at Raleigh for the Nov. Southern Open. Results: Championship Singles: Bernie Bukiet over George Brathwaite who’d been 24-22 in the 4th pressed by Peter Stephens. Women’s: Bev Hess over Shelby Jordan. Men’s Doubles: Jerry Thrasher/Bill Edwards over Hou-min Chang/Lance Rosemore in the semi’s, 23-21 in the 4th, 22-20 in the 5th, and over Brathwaite/Al Nissen in the final in 5. Mixed: Brathwaite/Hess over Doyle Dye/Jordan. A’s: Sol Lewis over Jim McQueen. B’s: Hess in 5 over N. Lam who’d eked out a 23-21 in the 3rd win over Dye. C’s: Ron Luth over H. Skirm. Senior’s: Bukiet over Lewis. U-17: John Elliott over Robert Nochenson. U-15: Chris Marshall over Nochenson.*
Herb Vichnin (TTT, Sept.-Oct., 1973, 27) rings the Sept. 29-30 Liberty Bell Open at the Philly Club, but barely announces the “very dull” Men’s matches while giving peals of praise to the A’s. Men’s: George Brathwaite over Lim Ming Chui, 3-0. Semi’s: Brathwaite over Errol Resek, 3-0; Chui over Bernie Bukiet, 3-0. Unusual match: Dave Sakai, after complaining about his draw, withdrew from the event, then re-entered and lost to Horace Roberts in 3. Women’s Singles: Carol Davidson, the current Caribbean Champion, over Debbie Wong. Mixed Doubles: Alex Shiroky/Wong over Guyana’s Garth Isaacs/Davidson. Men’s Doubles: Final: Brathwaite/Resek over Dave Philip/Tim Boggan. Semi’s: Philip/Boggan over Chui/Shiroky; Brathwaite/Resek over Sakai and Indian professional Monty Merchant in 5.
Jairie Resek in her Sept.-Oct., 1973 “It’s What’s Happening” Topics column, quotes Monty on the liberties taken at this tourney: “Never saw anything like it—more like a Fiesta than a tournament. Two guys here playing gin for $5.00 a game. Another drinking beer. A couple making out on the stairway. Players swearing, kicking the table, throwing their rackets. Everyone enjoying themselves in their own way” (28).
A’s: Final: Boggan over Bill Sharpe. Semi’s: Boggan over “Philly’s junior sensation” Mike Bush, said to have improved his game with coaching from Smolanowicz; Sharpe over Vichnin. Quarter’s: Boggan over Roger Sverdlik; Bush over Ricky Seemiller; Sharpe over Gary Wittner; Vichnin over Joe Mimoso. Early-rounds: Wittner over Richard McAfee, far from his Florida home, 22, -17, 19. Seemiller over McAfee’s traveling companion Al Nissen, 21, -19, 25. Sverdlik over #2 seed Stan Smolanowicz. Bush over #3 seed Peter Holder, 17, 13, crushing him with “some of the most amazing shots you’ve ever seen.” Herb describes “one unbelievable point”: Holder hit in two of his sidespin forehand kills, and Bush got the second one back quite a bit high. Holder killed it deep to Bush’s backhand. Mike lunged at it near the back barrier and managed to send it up just below the fluorescent lights. The ball came down right on Holder’s forehand corner, handcuffing him and forcing him to push the ball deep to Bush’s forehand. Mike, who by this time had picked himself up off the barrier, came running across the court and put away an amazing crosscourt forehand kill.”
B’s: Bruce Plotnick over George Hellerman who’d sneaked by Robert Nochenson, 19 in the 3rd, after Robert had upset Wittner. With Bruce up 2-0 against George, the umpire insisted, because of all the nets, that the players change tables, which move sent Plotnick into the 5th and his father Carl into mild conniptions. C’s: Barry Robbins over Nochenson. D’s: Barry over Jaffar Hashim. Handicap: Plotnick over Bush (from 23-all) 50-42 (while Rory Brassington had yelled out, “You’re choking, Bush!”). Senior’s: Sharpe over Boggan. Esquire’s: Sid Jacobs over Bob Green. Bob thinks gas rationing and perhaps even a ban on Sunday driving after 1 p.m. might be in effect soon. He offers suggestions how to cope (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1973, 14). Hold only Saturday tournaments, except allow weekends for 3 or 4-star events. Curtail events. Sanction “more tournaments on the same weekend. As long as a minimum of 300 miles (a tank of gas) between tournaments is maintained.” Tournament organizers: select sites that are “easily available to public transportation.”
A Doubles: McAfee/Nissen over Mimoso/Holder. Adult-Junior Doubles: Philip/Sverdlik over Sharpe/Plotnick, 18 in the 5th. U-17’s: Rick Seemiller, whose parents came from Pittsburgh to see him play, over Wittner who’d upset Bush, 18 in the 3rd, and in the final over Sverdlik who’d knocked out Plotnick, 21, -16, 14, after Bruce had squeaked by Arlington, VA’s Alan Evenson, deuce in the 3rd. Junior Doubles: Seemiller/Eric Boggan (“who surprised the hell out of his father by winning about eight matches at this tournament he wasn’t supposed to”) over Sverdlik/Wittner. U-15’s: Mike Stern over Plotnick. U-13’s: Stern over Rutledge Barry.
At Philadelphia’s Nov. 10-11 Veteran’s Day Open, Brathwaite won the Men’s over Resek, 15, 21, -21, 18, after Errol had taken out Holder in the quarter’s in 5 and Chui, -16, 18, 20, 18 in the semi’s. Men’s Doubles went to Smolanowicz/Sam Balamoun who beat in succession Brathwaite/Resek, Sverdlik/Jerry Fleischacker (who’d upset Chui/Dave Sakai, 24-22), and Sam Hammond/Mitch Sealtiel in a straight-game final. Hammond was bothered by a stomach-ache, and Mitch was still recovering from injuries he and his wife Joyce suffered when they’d “been run off the road by another car.” Esquire’s: George Rocker over Sid Jacobs. Senior’s: Sharpe over Boggan who, in losing in the 8th’s of the Men’s to Pete Cohen, knocked himself out of the Final 16 Invitational coming up in Dec.
A’s: Smolanowicz blasted through Balamoun in 4. In significant matches, Vichnin stopped Ray Maldonado, 19 in the 3rd (after being down 18-10); and Dan Green upset Boggan, -17, 22, 19 (Tim had him 20-15 match point in the 2nd, whereupon Danny flashed in 7 big backhands). A Doubles: Sharpe/Barry Robbins over Vichnin/Plotnick in 5. B’s: Fleischhacker over Maldonado who’d eliminated Johnny Ou, after Johnny, celebrating his return from a 6-month retirement, eliminated #1 seed Green and Rutledge Barry. Young Rutledge won the C’s by edging Robbins, deuce in the 3rd in the semi’s and Gordon Gregg in the final. D’s went to Ray McDowell over Mike Zukerman. Handicap: Bruce Plotnick over Boggan. Under 17’s: Sverdlik over Jeff Zakarin. U-15’s: Plotnick over Barry. Adult/Junior Doubles: Green/Gary Wittner over Brathwaite/Scott Boggan. Junior Doubles: Wittner/Scott McDowell over the promising team of Eric Boggan/Chuck Zakarin.
Gene Wonderlin’s West Jersey Club hosted the Oct. 27 Delaware Valley Closed—and Gene (TTT, Feb.-Mar., 1974, 39) took the opportunity “to honor Dan Seemiller for his participation on the U.S. Team to Sarajevo and Ray McDowell, Mal Anderson, and Herb Vichnin for the many hours they’ve given to the USTTA.” The Club presented them with “a small token of appreciation,” and indirectly added something more for Dan, for they awarded “as much prize money as possible,” and Dan and brother Rick went home with an extra $110. The venue was fine—except for the lighting, which Gene says won’t be a problem next year.
Results: Men’s: Dan Seemiller d. Rick Seemiller who’d eliminated Bill Sharpe and Mitch Sealtiel. Women’s: Debbie Wong d. Pat Bacilli. Men’s Doubles: Seemillers d. Stan Smolanowicz/Sam Balamoun. A’s: Balamoun d. Bruce Plotnick who’d ousted Sharpe. A Doubles: Barry Robbins/Sharpe d. Vichnin/Plotnick. B’s: George Hellerman d. J. Friedlin. Esquire’s: Kilpatrick d. Manny Moskowitz. Senior’s: Sharpe d. John Kilpatrick. U-17’s: R. Seemiller d. Plotnick. U-15’s: Mike Stern d. Robert Nochenson.
Hank Colker (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1973, 37) reports on the Cornell Open, held Oct. 20-21 in Barton Hall. Since plenty of help was needed, a thanks to Peter Groot, Neal Fox, Carl Danner, Cody Jones, and others. The Men’s, featuring “some unbelievable kills and counters,” went to Jim Dixon over runner-up Dave Sakai, who’d survived University of Buffalo’s Bill Davis in 5. 3rd Place finisher Scott McDowell was the only player to take a game from Jim. Peter Stephens, objecting “to the order in which the matches were to be played,” defaulted and so came 4th. Dixon/Sakai won the Doubles. Women’s winner was Shazzi Felstein over Louise Chotras. Mixed went to Sol Schiff/Pat Bacilli over Sakai/Evelyn Zakarin.
Other results: A’s: Gary Wittner over Fred Danner who’d eliminated a “tournament hot” Rutledge Barry. A Doubles: Wittner/Sverdlik over Davis/Fox. B’s: Davis over Carl Danner. C winner: Colin Abrams. B/C Doubles: Fred Danner/Al Brandman over Kaiser/Goldwasser. U-17’s: Barry over Jeff Zakarin, Scott McDowell, and Sverdlik. U-17 Doubles: Robert Nochenson/Eliott Katz over both Carl Danner/McDowell and Wittner/Sverdlik. Adult/Junior Doubles: Fleischhacker/Sverdlik over Sakai/Mike Bush, 26-24 in the 3rd.
Bill Dean tells us (TTT, Nov.-Dec, 1973, 37) that at the Waltham Club on Oct. 21 the New England Intercity League crowned a Champion—the Lynn #2 team (Lim-Ming Chui, Ralph Robinson, and Mike Allen). In the semi’s they defeated Waltham #1 (Frank Dwelly, Benny Hull, and Bill Dean). Chui, as expected, won all 3, but it was Robinson’s wins over New England #5 Hull and in the 9th match over New England’s #4 Dean that made the difference. In the other semi’s, the Defending Champion Providence #1 team (Ed Raky, Jack Devereaux, and Irv Levine) downed Waltham #2 (Alan Millett; the New England Junior Champion Lew Martinello; and “newly arrived Australian Ian Staff”). The 1968 U.S. Junior Champion/1971 Intercollegiate Champion, Surasak Koakiettavecchi, “gave a strong performance on a decidedly weak Northampton team.” In the final, Chui again won 3 and Robinson again won 2—over Devereaux and former Rhode Island Champ Levine. For his key wins, Ralph was voted the Most Valuable Player Award.
Neal Fox covered the Oct. 6-7 Central Canadian Open, held, as it was when I first played in it 20 years before, at the brrr, deliberately kept cold Niagara Falls Badminton Club. Difference now is, for both men and women they had a Money event, as well as an Open Class A (and to compensate raised the event fees to $10 and $7.50 respectively—which produced fewer entries than hoped for). Men’s Money event: Dan Seemiller (who, according to Jairie Resek, will soon start teaching T.T. at Pittsburgh City Parks 6 hours a day, 3 days a week, for 8 weeks) d. Jim Dixon, -15, 19, -15 in the quarter’s (why just 2 out of 3, Jim rightfully complained); d. Zoltan Pataky in the semi’s; and d. Errol Caetano in the final. Mike Veillette had a good win over Canadian International Peter Gonda.
Women’s Money event: Violetta Nesukaitis d. Mariann Domonkos.
Men’s A’s (Open): Caetano d. Dixon (who’d downed Adham Sharara), d. Dave Sakai (who beat Bill Cheng and Ricky Seemiller), and d. Dan Seemiller in the final.
Women’s A’s (Open): Domonkos d. Nesukaitis. Buffalo City Champion Katie Simon, a penholder, played a good though losing match against Toronto’s Jose Tomkins. Neal says, “Look for her in the future.” Of course, whether he knows it now or not, he’s going to marry her.
B’s: Unseeded but top-rated Alex Polisois over Violetta Nesukaitis (who in the 1st round beat should–have-been-seeded Jeff Smart, 2-1).
In the Consolation’s, Sharara stopped Tim House (who also lost to Fox in another event). Whether this was a final or not, we don’t know.
Junior’s saw Polisois down Veillette; and Ricky Seemiller eliminate Toronto’s just-back-from-China John Richardson. Who beat who in the final, Fox doesn’t say. Neal praises Milda Milacek and Paul Klevinas, assures us that they have to be taken seriously, but doesn’t tell us anything specific about their play, says only Klevinas was a semifinalist.
Strangely missing from this Canadian tournament was Derek Wall, who’s not been playing (“nobody seems to know why”). Canadian stalwarts Caetano, Gonda, Pataky, and Nesukaitis won’t be playing at the Long Island USOTC’s this year—they leave right after this tournament for a 10-week tour of Europe.
SELECTED NOTES.
*Eric Zeigler tells us (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1974, 39) that, during this Raleigh tournament, he and Robert Nochenson, walking about the tournament hotel and grounds Sunday at 3:00 a.m., were suddenly startled to hear, coming from a Conference Room, the sound of ping-pong balls being batted back and forth. On investigation, they found the “Kingsport Table Tennis Club.” Kingsport members playing in the Raleigh tournament had rented this large Room not only to sleep in but apparently at the moment to hold a private tournament in. They called it the “half-star” Howard Johnson Open.
Of course play was on “a makeshift table composed of two buffet tables” and stretched across it was “an equally imaginative net.” USTTA tournament rules were modified—players played 11-point games, alternating service, and the Expedite Rule was brought in after three exchanges—mostly because, though some members of the Club (Orville “Pop” Quisenberry, for example) slept intently during the play, people “kept drifting in” wanting to enter the tournament. One late entry, Dr. Mike McIntire, “wearing a new-fangled warm-up suit called ‘pajamas,’ received the nickname ‘P-J Lee.’” Throughout, “good feelings were in abundance and so was the beer….If real tournaments had more of this ‘spirit’ they would be much more enjoyable.”
And by the way, young Zeigler, who writes well, but who’s not old enough to have a car, and who hasn’t money to go to tournaments, needs a sponsor. It’s probably a little late to help him out now, but…who knows?